Momentum is building to end the write-in provision in Florida's election laws.

In fact, one could argue voters opposed to the provision have never been closer to eliminating it than they are today.

But this is no time to celebrate. Not yet.

Instead, it is time for write-in opponents to send targeted messages to the one group that will determine the outcome of the issue: Florida's 37-member Constitution Revision Commission.

The commission, which meets every 20 years to review and update the Florida Constitution, has been soliciting public proposals to amend our state's governing document. At last count, Florida citizens had submitted 781 proposals.

However, only a handful of these proposals have been embraced by commissioners and reformatted into what are called "commissioner proposals."

One of those is Commissioner Proposal 11.

Submitted by Palm City resident Sherry Plymale, a member of the Constitution Revision Commission, Commissioner Proposal 11 is similar to the public proposal submitted by Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg. It would prohibit write-in candidates from closing primary elections when a write-in is the only opposition to candidates with the same party affiliation.

Under Florida law, write-ins have been allowed to close primary elections since 2000. The result has been disastrous for the democratic process.

In 2016, write-ins closed primary elections in 20 state House and Senate races in Florida, denying 1.6 million voters the opportunity to cast ballots. Also last year, write-in candidates closed dozens of county primary elections across the state, including four on the Treasure Coast.

Remember, these aren't serious candidates.

Write-ins are not required to pay a filing fee or gather signatures to run. Then, once they have registered, the vast majority don't campaign, articulate their views or attend political forums. They are paper candidates. Their singular objective is to close the primary — often to the benefit of one of the real candidates.

The Editorial Board of Treasure Coast Newspapers has been stirring the proverbial pot for almost a year, explaining in a series of editorials when the loophole began, who is to blame and why it matters to you. Slowly but surely, the inequities of the write-in provision are becoming apparent to voters and officials throughout the Sunshine State.

In the coming months, the Constitution Revision Commission will decide which proposals to place on the 2018 general election ballot. If you oppose the write-in loophole, there is something tangible you can do to eliminate it: Send a letter to commissioners urging them to put Commissioner Proposal 11 on the ballot.

If the proposed constitutional amendment gets to the ballot, we have a fighting chance to end write-in abuses.

Let's see this issue through to a successful conclusion.

Then we will celebrate.

Editorials of Treasure Coast Newspapers/TCPalm are decided collectively by its Editorial Board. To respond to this editorial in a letter to the editor, email up to 300 words to TCNLetters@TCPalm.com.